Sign



Jun13, 1933. I. NAcHuMsoHN 1,913,504

SIGN I Filed June 30, 1928 Patented June 13, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE IRVING NACHUMSOHN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 NAXONCORPORATION, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SIGNApplication filed I une 30,

My invention relates to signs and luminous devices, and moreparticularly to suchtypes which are rendered luminous by the ionizationof rarefied gases when placed in a suitable electric field.

()ne object of my invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is thoroughly practical to produce. Other objectsprovide a simplified method of production; a moving effect notobtainable with rarefied gas signs in use heretofore; a novel electrodeand a method of treating the same.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the specificationprogresses and the novel features will be particularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is essentially a diagrammatic view showing amethod ofaccomplishing a luminous moving effect and showing onearrangement of tubes for this purpose. Fig. 2 is a detailed View of oneform of the electrode. Fig. 3 shows-an improved form of electrode,suitable for use in the tubes shown in Fig. 1.

Glass tubes 1, Figs. 1 and 2, are provided with enlarged terminalportions 2 into which are sealed electrodes 3 of suitable material, suchas carbon, copper or iron. Fastened into said electrodes are lead wires4 and said wires extend through and externally of the walls of thevessel, as at 5, for the purpose of making electrical connection to theelectrodes.

The electrodes have a shape which is practically cylindraceous. Towithin a short distance of one of the ends of the electrodes is alongitudinal slot 6 extending diametrically of its circularcross-section.

Normally, the tubes operate with unipotential electrodes; that is,without a potential gradient along the length of the electrodes for thepurpose of heating them, as would be used were it desired to facilitateelectron emission with a given ionizing potential. Since it isadvantageous to degasify the electrodes during the pumping and treatingprocess, I provide the extra wire 4 so that suflicient current may beconducted through the electrode to heat the latter, thereby liberatingtherefrom undesirable 1928. Serial No. 289,586.

gases which may be evacuated from the. "tubes.

This process of treating unipotential electrodes, as applied to vacuumtubes, has been more fully described and claimed in my copendingapplication for patent, Serial No. 265,391, filed March 28, 1928, and,therefore, requires no further description here.

To cause the tubes 1 to glow the electrodes at the extremities thereofare connected to a source of high potential. Since, as alreadymentioned, no potential difference is normally required along the lengthof the electrode (other thanthat drop in potential due to the ionizingcurrent), connection to the electrodes may be made by using either one,or both, of the lead wires 4 of each electrode.

A modification of the electrode 3, Fig. 2,- is shown in Fig. 3. Thiselectrode is provided with a series of annular flanges '7, thuspresenting a larger surface exposed to the rarefied gas or gasescontained Within the vessel. In addition this electrode has theadvantage of being able to more rapidly give off the undesired gasesduring treating and to more readily absorb the desired gases introducedinto the tube for ultimate ionization.

In order to produce a moving or so-called chaser effect articularreference is made to Fig. l in which a plurality of tubes, three in thisinstance, as 20, 21 and 22 are shown. The tubes are disposed closetogether and have alternate opaque or relatively darkened and luminousportions arranged as shown. The darkened portions of the respectivetubes are designated as 20, 21 and 22 and each tube is shown as havingluminous portions at, b, 0, d and c. A step-up transformer T, fed froman A. C. line, is provided for feeding 2 or more tubes in parallel,although provision may be made for connecting them in series or forutilizing individual transformers for each tube. The choice ofconnection, such as series or parallel, is usually determined by thecharacteristics of the circuit, the regulation and voltage of thetransformer or transformers, and the characteristics of the tubes.Although for convenience of illustration a parallel connection be tocause agroup of lighted portions to glide apparently along in onedirection. To illustrate this more fully switching means, used to causetwo of the tubes to glow at one time while one remains dark and to con-.

tinually alternate this condition among the different tubes, are shownwhich comprise a plurality of cams 8, 9, 10, mounted on a shaft 11. Thisshaft has also fastened thereon a gear 12 which may be driven by anysuitable gear, such as a motor pinion 13.

In the form illustrated the cams have arcuate portions of theirperipheries cut away in such a manner that their corresponding switches8', 9', 10 are held closed during 240 degrees rotation of the shaft 11and permitted to open, by means of respective springs 8, during 120degrees rotation. The low parts of the peripheries of the cams aredisposed in a rotatively advanced relation to each other, as shown.

For convenience of illustration I have shown a single transformer Toperating a plurality of tubes 1 through cam-controlled switchin meansoperating in the secondary circuit 0' said transformer. If such anarrangement is used and the secondary voltage of the transformer high,it may be preferable to briefly interrupt the primary, or low-voltage,side of the transformer during the interval of operation of any of thesecondary switches. For this purpose an extra cam 14 and correspondingswitch 14' is provided, the former having narrow cut away port-ionswhich permit the switch 14 to open during, and somewhat overlapping, theperiod of operation of any of the secondary switches; the switch 14, ofcourse, being connected in the primary circuit of the transformer.

By looking at the tubes in Figure 1, it

becomes. apparent that each longitudinal step in the progression of theluminous portions will also be accompanied by a lateral shift due to thewidth of the tubes.

When it is desired to minimize this lateral shift, the tubes may beplaced close together and the luminous and darkened portion maderelatively long with respect to the tube widths, thereby minimizing thelateral shift encountered ineach step or compared with the longitudinalshift.

Whileit is' obvious that the tubes may be bent into any desired shape tomeet the many requirements encountered in applying the invention tosigns or luminous devices, it is further manifest that with thedisclosure in Figure 1 it would readily occur to those skilled in theart that the lateral shift of moving light may be entirely eliminated bydisposing the tubes in such a manner that the successive luminousport-ions occur in a straight line.

More specifically through the switching means shown in the drawing thetubes are illuminated foroverlapping periods of time equal to the periodwhich elapses while the cam shaft 11 is rotating 120. However,

each tube, as previously stated, remains illuminated for the periodduring which shaft 11 rotates 240. In other words, the length of theactive cam surfaces 8, 9 and 10 of the cams 8, 9 and 10, respectively,is 240. The initially acting end of said active cam surfaces which firstengages the circuit switches are separated circumferentially speaking adistance of 120. fore, referring to Figure 1, it will be evident thatthe circuit of tube 20 is about to be broken by switch 8 ridin off therear end of the cam surface 8*. T is figure also shows the initialactive portion of the cam surface 9 as being about to actuate the switch9' to close the circuit of the intermediate tube 21. The midway positionof the switch 10' on the cam surface 10 indicates that the tube 22 hasbeen illuminated for approximately one-half of its illumination period.Since the cut-out areas of the cam disks amount to 120 it will beevident Therethat when the switch 10 has traversed the remaining 120 ofactive cam surface 10, the switch 8 of cam disk 8 will have reached theinitial end of the cam portion 8 of disk 8 and will ride up thereon toclose the circuit of tube 20 as the circuit of tube 22 is opened. At thetime that the circuit of tube 20 is closed through cam portion 8 andswitch 8', the switch 9' of the circuit of tube 21 will occupy upon itscam surface 9*, the same midway position as switch 10 occupies upon itscam in Figure 1.

As is believed to be manifest, corresponding spaces a, 6, 0, etc. of therespective tubes 20, 21, 22 comprise lineal luminescent areas a,a,a,6,6,6, 0,0,0, etc., it is perfectly plain from Figure 1 of the drawingthat in the consecutive illumination of tubes 20, 21, 22 in the ordernamed that the area a,a,a, may be progressively illuminated to disclosea word or figure, or to give the effect of a 6,6,6, etc. are arranged inmerging substan- This enables a chaser tially lineal series. or chasinglight efiect to be produced without the usual multiplicity of filamentbulbs and associate connections to each bulb and particularly a chaseror moving effect dejacent sources.

void of gaps, because the luminous areas heretofore described overlapone another.

While I have shown the luminous portions of the tubes 1 of equal lengthand the intermediate darkened portions all of equal length it is obviousthat the speed or optical effect of apparent unidirectional motion,heretofore mentioned, may be changed at different portions along thelength of the tubes 1 by exposing shorter or longer luminous portions,thanshown.

It is obvious that numerous changes may be made in the details set forthwithout departure from the essentials of the invention, as defined inthe claims.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a plurality of straightadjacent and substantially parallel gaseous conduction lamps havingalternate darkened and illuminable portions, said illuminable portionsof the lamps being arranged in substantially lineal series, electrodesfor said lamps, and switching meansfor applying current to saidelectrodes in predetermined order to produce a chaser effect.

2. In a device of the character described comprising illuminablechambered means, an ionizable vmedium within said means, a plurality ofspaced selectively operable ion izing electrode means for said medium,said chambered means with said ionizable 'medi-. um comprising aplurality of straight and continuous gaseous conductors between saidelectrode means, means effective upon the energization of each electrodemeans for effecting illumination of different lineal areas of saidchambered means, said lineal areas being arranged in substantiallymerging lineal series, and means for actuating said ionizing electrodemeans to progressively illuminate said series of areas. a

' 3. In a display device, means for producing a plurality of straight,parallel, adjacent and lineal light sources, shielding spaced portionsof said sources,

said shielding means for each. of said with sources being displacedlongitudinall respect to the .shieldmgmeans of tiie ad- 4. In a displaydevice, means consisting of discharges between spaced electrodes forproducing a plurality of straight, parallel, adjacent and lineal lightsources, and means for shielding spaced portions of said sources,

said shielding means for each of said sources being displacedlongitudinally with respect to the shielding means of the adjacentsources. F

5. In a luminous device comprisin illuminable chambered means, anionizab e medium within said means, a plurality of spaced ionizingelectrode means for said nedium, said chambered means with said1onizable medium comprising a plurality of and means for closely spaced,transversely arranged, elongated gaseous conductors disposedsubstantially in the same spaced relation for all transverse sectionsthereof, means effective upon the energization of each ionizingelectrode means for effecting illumination of different areas thereoffor the production of a predetermined optical effect, and said areasbeing disposed in a lineal series extending in the direction of saidgaseous conductors.

6. A device of the character described comprising a plurality ofadjacent, transversely arranged, elongated gaseous discharge memberseach having illuminable and darkened portions, the illuminable portionsof said members combining to form a substantially lineal area and saidmembers being substantially in the same spaced relation for alltransverse sections thereof, and means for consecutively illuminatingsaid members to progressively illuminate said area.

7. In a sign, a plurality of substantially straight illuminable tubeshaving luminous and darkened portions, and the luminous portions of saidtubes being arranged in substantially merging series extending in thedirection of the length of the tubes.

8. In a device of the character described comprising a plurality ofadjacent, transversely arranged, elongated gaseous discharge tubessubstantially in the same spaced relation for all transverse sectionsthereof,

electrodes for each of said tubes, and means 10 of spaced portions ofsaid tube.

IRVING NAGHUMSOHN.

